Low back pain can range from a dull persistent ache to being so severe that any movement feels impossible. The pain can shoot down your leg or feel numb and tingly down your thigh or hip. Whether you think the problem could be a herniated disc or arthritis or something else entirely, chiropractic adjustments can help restore proper function to the joints of the low back, allowing the inflammation to subside and the pain to resolve.

A back spasm can take a person by surprise, but it usually comes after a long period of poor muscle balance between the spine and core abdominal muscles. Chiropractic adjustments help reset that balance to improve posture and healing.

The sciatic nerve is a thick bundle of nerves that starts in the low back and travels down the thigh, branching into several nerves at the knee that reach all the way down to the toes. It can get pinched or irritated from a variety of causes: an inflamed disc, a disc bulge, piriformis syndrome, or spinal-pelvic joint dysfunction. An examination will reveal the exact cause to guide how chiropractic can be used to treat it.

The neck has an important job: to hold up your head! But we often demand that the neck hold up the head while we lean forward or look downward. Related to device use, this is called “tech neck” or “text neck,” a type of wear and tear on the neck that can lead to muscle tension, arthritis, and other painful problems. Chiropractic care can help restore normal motion to the neck and improve the balance between different groups of muscles in the neck, reducing pain and restoring function.

While low back pain and neck pain tend to get the most discussion, mid-back and rib pain can be just as impactful, even affecting the ability to take a deep breath. Adjustments can be applied to any segment of the spine found to have restricted motion.
Costochondritis is the name for inflammation located in the cartilage that connects the ribs to the sternum. By using a hand-held instrument called the activator, Dr. Phillips can adjust ribs to restore regular motion and diminish pain.

Often headaches occur due to a problem in the neck. Tension headaches, stress headaches, and even migraines can start from a misalignment of the neck joints or tension in the neck and shoulders which blossoms into a headache. Migraines can be especially difficult to endure given their association with nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. With a thorough exam, chiropractic care can be applied gently and specifically to mitigate the severity and frequency of headaches. Migraines in particular may also benefit from nutritional supplements that Dr. Phillips can recommend.

The general term arthritis most commonly refers to osteoarthritis, which leads to joint stiffness and discomfort and is associated with age. Other types of arthritis are inflammatory in nature, such as rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. Dr. Phillips is familiar with both osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis types and tailors treatment to suit your particular condition.

The shoulder is not just one joint but four, and with that complexity comes the need for a thorough assessment and specific treatment. Common shoulder problems include tendonitis, rotator cuff injuries, and overuse syndromes.
The shoulder connects to the neck and upper back as well, so that complete care for shoulder pain should include attention to the spine. Even if your primary concern is a joint beyond the spine, every visit with Dr. Phillips includes spinal care along with the extremity of concern.

The hip joint in older adults is a site susceptible to injury due to osteoporosis combined with a decline in balance and coordination. Healthy hip joints are crucial to staying active over time. Chiropractic care can help ensure that hip joints remain mobile and stable. In addition, in the instance of recovering from a hip fracture or replacement, Dr. Phillips can provide safe and gentle chiropractic care to your spine to support a smooth recovery.

The foot and ankle can become painful when there is an imbalance between its ability to move and its ability to stabilize your gait. Problems like plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, and sprain-strain injuries (new or old) can be helped with chiropractic. These problems can cause pain up the leg and into the spine, or a spinal problem can lead to pain traveling down the leg into the foot. An initial assessment can help pinpoint what is causing pain in your foot or ankle and get you on the right track.

Wrist and elbow pain can be debilitating. Problems like carpal tunnel syndrome, epicondylitis, arthritis, and tendonitis can keep you from doing your daily activities. The nerves that coordinate movement and sensation in the arms originate in the neck, and the cause of your discomfort could be anywhere along the path from your neck to your fingers. A chiropractic exam can determine where the problem is coming from and how to treat it.

Chronic pain is difficult to live with and difficult to pin down. An acute injury can become a chronic pain even after healing has happened. Pain can be a sign not only that injury has happened, but also that there is the threat of injury; in chronic pain, this message grows too strong to be helpful. In some conditions, such as fibromyalgia or chronic lyme disease, pain can affect multiple areas of the body, making it hard to carry out normal life. Chiropractic care can help change how pain signals are processed between the brain and body, diminishing the strength and frequency of pain.